The Brawn Brothers

Adapted from an account by the son of G. W. Brawn.

George William Brawn (inset, above) and Alfred Arthur Brawn (main picture, above) were born in Wollaston. George was the elder. They were Methodists and tried to obey the Commandments believing that it was wrong to kill. When war broke out, there was great pressure on all young men to volunteer for service. Both worked for wealthy people in the village, who told them that they should fight for King and Country. They said they had not met the King and did not own any of the Country. However, before conscription was introduced, it was possible to volunteer for non-combatant duties and the two brothers went together to volunteer. They walked to Wellingborough where they volunteered for non-combatant duty with the Royal Army Medical Corps. This was not a soft option and simply meant that instead of being on the front line with a gun, they were in the front line with a stretcher. They were given consecutive Service numbers – G. W. Braun 106231 and A.A. Brawn 106232.

After training (believed to be at Edmonton) they were posted to the 28th Field Ambulance and served with the 9th (Scottish) Division in France.Field Ambulance Units consisted of a number of doctors, surgeons and trained nursing staff together with stretcher bearers trained in First Aid.There were about 400 men in each Field Ambulance.The wounded were brought to the forward dressing station where their condition was assessed, wounds were dressed, Morphine was administered and they were then carried back to the Field Hospital which was some distance behind the front.There, initial surgery and stabilisation was carried out.Half of all the men that lost their lives were brought in as wounded by the stretcher-bearers only to die later from their wounds.

Both Brawn brothers were awarded the Military medal.

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 28TH JANUARY 1918

His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the Military Medal for bravery in the Field to the undermentioned Non-Commissioned Officers and Men

106232 Pte. A. A. Brawn R.A.M.C. (Wellingborough)

SUPPLEMENT TO THE LONDON GAZETTE, 17TH JUNE 1919

His Majesty the KING has been graciously pleased to approve the award of the Military Medal for bravery in the Field to the undermentioned Non-Commissioned Officers and Men

106231 Pte. Brawn, G. W. 28Th Fd. Amb. (Wollaston)

Typically of men who returned from the Great War, they did not speak of what they had done and did not mention their medals. Many such men had mental or physical scars. The War Memorial in the Cemetery had a personal meaning which went way beyond the corporate act of remembrance once per year. Their visits to the Memorial were frequent and their loss was forever with them. There were men who could not listen or be present when others spoke of the War. So many from the village were killed or seriously wounded that for the two brothers to survive and return uninjured was a sufficient cause for gratitude. To talk of awards for bravery in such circumstances would not have been acceptable. There were also perhaps family reasons. There were others by the name of Brawn from Wellingborough - believed to be distant cousins - who did not fare so well.